1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic component assembly system with various programmable adjustable features. More specifically, the invention relates to a semi automatic machine for assembling electronic components on a printed circuit board in which the leads of the components pass through the board and are cut and clinched underneath. Thereafter the component leads are wave soldered under the board to complete the printed circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art assembly system to which the present invention relates is marketed by Contact Systems Inc. and known as the CS-400C Component Locator with Automatic Cut and Clinch. This system provides a console in which an operator sequentially manually picks electronic circuit components from a supply such as a rotary bin and individually places them on work pieces such as circuit boards. The system includes an X-Y table that positions the board for receipt of each circuit component. A projector located above the X-Y table provides two spots of light on the board to indicate to the operator the location where the component is to be inserted. The dual spot remains in one position and the X-Y table is programmed to travel to a new location for placement of the next component. The programmed position of the table brings to the dual spot the next succeeding position on the circuit board to receive the designated component.
The operator manually picks out components from the supply in the proper sequence in which they are to be placed on the circuit board and inserts each component in its predesignated position. The source of components and the X Y table are preprogrammed so that when a particular component is positioned for operator selection the corresponding location for it on the printed circuit board is under the dual spot light source. After the component is inserted on the board the operator activates a switch as by pressing a foot pedal to activate a cut and clinch mechanism located under the X Y table which cuts and clinches the component leads.
It is understood that the various components may be of different sizes and have leads of different materials and diameters. Because of this, different components leads must be cut at different lengths and clinched at different angles appropriate for the diameter and other characteristics of the particular lead. A need therefore exists for adjusting the length that the various leads are cut and the angle to which they are clinched without stopping the operation of assembly and resorting to manual adjustments. This is one general problem to which the present invention is directed.